I have this other blog drafted, never published (the stranger meaning one), and I started it out by saying that "for me, life is continuously being hungry. The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer." Now, a month later and substantially wiser, I think that this statement is a bit too bold on my part. I still agree with some of it of course, especially the part about life being more than simply existing, but the accomplishment stuff is coming off as more grand than I see it as now.
Now, I think that the achievements we strive for in life can be more softly stated. They need not be grand, overstated purposes, but anything, literally anything, that takes us from this moment to the next.
Man's Search for Meaning is one of the best books I have ever read. Among other things, something that I really like about it is that Frankl takes care to show that his philosophy can be applied to anyone, in any circumstance. He edits himself to be more inclusive, clarifying that you don't need to have suffered to find meaning in life, but even if you have, you can still find meaning. Since his ideas are so inclusive, I extend it so say that everyone has the ability to live a life of meaning.
Personally, I feel that my life has many meanings. My purposes range from simple pleasures such as dark chocolate and netflix, to more substantial things like dance, and finally to my biggest goal, to become an obstetric surgeon and work in Africa. While some of these may have a broader impact than others, I find that they are all important to me.
Sadly, applying logotheraputic techniques to life is easier said than done. It can be very hard to remain optimistic in the wake of life's difficulties. Natural emotional reactions may seem disheartening, however there is really nothing like human resilience. History, both across the globe and in our recent memories, has shown me all of the things that people are capable of overcoming, and that knowledge alone is enough to inspire hope.
I love logotherapy's focus on the future. It is all about accepting the past, and moving forward. Recently in my own life a lot of my purpose has had to do with getting into college. While incomparable to life in a concentration camp, the sadness and emotional suffering that I felt when I received a rejection letter were very real. I allowed myself to mourn, and spent probably too much time wallowing. But since reading Man's Search for Meaning, I have been able to take steps to find new meanings in spite of my suffering. I'm not going to lie, it still hurts every once and a while, but knowing that I have the ability to actualize other goals in my life pushes me constantly forward.
